The National Council of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) has called upon the government to tackle the issue of unemployment and high levels of poverty in Kenya as the world marks International Poverty Eradication Day.
Speaking today during the event held at Nyayo House, Nairobi, Council Chairperson Steven Cheboi mentioned ways to curb the unemployment issue by suggesting free access to universal education for the youth to acquire knowledge and new skills.
He added that the youths should not only wait for white-collar but also venture into technical fields like agriculture and others.
“We plead with the government to make sure they fulfill their promises of coming up with employment strategies for the youth made during the election campaign period,” stated Cheboi.
According to the Chairperson, food security is needed in the country for the people to access a sufficient quantity of affordable nutritious food.
Further, Cheboi said that a good way of supporting food security is by digging proper wells and dams for irrigation which will solve the issue of food scarcity in drought-stricken areas and also create job opportunities for farmers, especially in the Northern Region of Kenya.
He advised Kenyans to utilize their land properly by employing effective farming techniques to plant food in plenty in the country and refrain from destroying the country’s forest cover.
Cheboi urged stakeholders and well-established NGOs at the county level to involve themselves and give their support in poverty eradication.
“City counties including Nairobi, Kisumu, Mombasa, and upcoming city counties should make sure that there are no slums in the near future,” he said.
Cheboi called upon all NGOs to work closely with the government to create business environments giving the youth employment chances that will stop them from indulging in crime. This, noted Cheboi, would solve both the unemployment issue and reduce the rate of crime in the country.
The Chairperson encouraged partner NGO organizations in the field to collaborate with both national and county governments in efforts to ease the poverty situation nationwide.
By Isaac K’Obonyo and Hellen Mwangi
